Monaghan’s Furrow and Kerry’s RT Sales were the other main prize category finalists in the competition, which also featured nine more finalists across three other categories.
VetPal Technology has won the €10,000 Start-Up of the Year award in Enterprise Ireland’s (EI) Innovation Arena live pitching competition at the 2026 National Ploughing Championships in Co Offaly.
The Roscommon-based agritech company digitises veterinary prescription management across the animal health supply chain and connects “farmers, vets, co-ops, merchants and pharmacies in one compliant digital workflow” that is “fully integrated with the Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Prescription System”, according to EI.
Monaghan’s Furrow and Kerry’s RT Sales were the other main prize category finalists in the competition, which also featured nine more finalists across three other categories: Green Impact, open to sustainability-focused solutions; Innovation Arena Champion, for entries from established companies with a focus on scaling and innovation; and Young Innovator of the Year, open to entries from second- and third-level students.
“The Innovation Arena continues to be an incredibly important platform for Irish agri innovation, bringing together entrepreneurs, researchers and businesses who are all focused on developing solutions for the future of this important sector,” said Minister for Enterprise, Tourism and Employment Peter Burke, TD.
“At a time when global agriculture and food face significant opportunities and challenges, the solutions showcased in this year’s Innovation Arena will be critical in driving productivity and competitiveness.”
Kildare’s Terra NutriTech was the Green Impact award winner, ahead of Magnus Monitors and Slurryquip. Terra’s precision-dosing technology for grazing livestock aims to turn methane reduction at pasture “from a major challenge into something practical, measurable and credible”, according to EI.
“Ireland is synonymous with innovation and agriculture globally, and the ingenuity and expertise of our innovators has resulted in our agricultural sector earning a reputation for delivering sustainable and productive solutions that are helping to solve the sector’s biggest challenges,” said EI CEO Jenny Melia.
“These companies are also predominantly regionally based in towns and communities across Ireland, so as well as transforming the agritech sector, they are also driving growth and having an impact in local economies the length and breadth of the country.”
Kilkenny-based Telenostic was chosen as the Innovation Arena Champion – in a category also featuring Alltech and Solnua – for its AI-powered diagnostic tool to improve parasite control in livestock. The technology enables “rapid parasite detection at point of care” and can help eliminate the need for laboratory testing, EI said.
“This year’s finalists and exhibitors are yet again a reflection of a pioneering sector with innovators and businesses who develop solutions that help farmers become more productive and resilient,” said Anna May McHugh, managing director of the National Ploughing Association.
Munster Technological University’s MastiTrak was selected for the Young Innovator of the Year award for its mastitis detection system, which aims to improve animal welfare, reduce milk waste and lower antibiotic use in modern farming. Moore Agri and WireLessCam were also nominated in the category.
According to EI, Irish agritech companies that it supports recorded €844m in exports in 2025 and employ more than 5,000 people in Ireland.
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